14 Day Boot Camp, ADHD, and A Good Program

[Comoquiendice]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie here and a prospective EMT student.

I wanted to know if anyone here had any opinions about, or any good things to say about Unitek Education's 14 Day Boot Camp certification program in Fremont, CA. It's the only program i found so far that I might still be able to qualify for (as I've missed the orientation registration dates at the local CC)

I wanted to start training this semester and I've looked around a bit but I didn't make the Riverside Community College or San Jacinto Community college deadlines either and I'm not sure where else to look as I've only recently moved down here and don't really know my way around. Any suggestions or resources/sites/books I should look into?

I'm researching now, but I haven't found anything local yet, and I'm getting confused with all of these acronyms and certifications being thrown around my browser.

Also,

I'm a 20 year old female with ADHD and I wanted to know if there was any other ADHDer here who could offer some perspective on how the job mixes with that condition.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and sorry for any newbie faux pas.

-Como

 

[Sasha]

Do yourself a favor, and wait for the next sign up date for a real program. While you're waiting, take an a&p class. Or a pharmocology class. A real legitimate class. It'll save you from pulling out your hair when you decide to go to Paramedic school (and you should.)

I have ADHD that I refuse to take medication for. I'm a pathological pen tapper/clicker. You're gonna annoy the heck out of your classmates, and the job can depend on where you work and how busy they were. Some days I would drive partners off the wall due to the fact we were sitting and holding a gas station for three hours straight and I was bored, some days we were so busy I didn't have a chance to be bored.

 

[Veneficus]

14 day boot camp is not a good idea.

As for the ADHD, I doubt there is anyone who works in emergency service that couldn't be diagnosed with it. You'll probably fit right in.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

I'm a pathological pen tapper/clicker. You're gonna annoy the heck out of your classmates, and the job can depend on where you work and how busy they were. Some days I would drive partners off the wall due to the fact we were sitting and holding a gas station for three hours straight and I was bored, some days we were so busy I didn't have a chance to be bored.

Oh man! I must have it too!

 

[medic417]

As I am not aware of any basic program that actually does anything but stretch out this first aid training might as well take the two week. That is all the others add up do despite how long they are drawn out. Now do as Sasha said and get some real education in preperation of taking a Paramedic degree program.

 

[fortsmithman]

Some of the symptoms according to wikipedia are

Impulsiveness: acting before thinking of consequences, jumping from one activity to another, disorganization, tendency to interrupt other peoples' conversations. Hyperactivity: restlessness, often characterized by an inability to sit still, fidgeting, squirminess, climbing on things, restless sleep. Inattention: easily distracted, day-dreaming, not finishing work, difficulty listening.

That almost sounds like your average teenager. Even sounds like me.:wacko::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::wacko:

 

[Summit]

14 day course is a bad plan. A one month compressed course is as short as you should consider.

As far as ADD, you should know that in EMS many... oh look a butterfly!

 

[AJ Hidell]

As far as ADD, you should know that in EMS many... oh look a butterfly!

LOL!!

The cram course can work well for just the right student. Just the right student would be someone with a good educational preparation for the course. A nurse or other licensed healthcare professional. Someone with military medic experience. Expired EMTs looking to re-enter the field. Someone with a solid foundation in college sciences, like Anatomy & Physiology. If any of that applies to you, and you have the ability to take information at a rapid fire pace and retain it for the long term, then the boot camp approach is a viable option.

That said, those aren't usually the people who choose the boot camp schools. It is usually just impatient kids who are in a hurry to put on a uniform and don't need "all that book learnin'". Consequently, the average grad is a train wreck. At the EMT level, simply passing the NR exam is in no way an indication of the quality of your education, or your competency.

If you want advice on the best possible plan, then enrol this semester in Anatomy & Physiology 1 and Medical Terminology, and wait to take EMT next semester. Or even go to Unitek. Again, with solid preparation, Unitek is a viable option. You'll have the ability to understand and retain the theory after taking those courses. And most of the course is just basic first aid skills anyhow. It's not rocket surgery. Just don't get in a hurry. There are already enough crappy EMTs in So Cal as it is. Concentrate on being the best you can be, not just another 20 year old with a patch.

And speaking of "already enough EMTs", what do you plan to do with this certification? Have you done a serious job market analysis of Riverside County? There's not much available there that involves real EMS. If you want to go drive dialysis patients around the county for less money than the guy flipping burgers at In N Out, well you're on the right track. Normally, I would recommend you go directly to paramedic school before the ink is even dry on your EMT card. Unfortunately, the crap schools in your area are hung up on requiring field time before accepting you, so that's hardly an option for you. So you have to ask yourself, what are you really going to do with this EMT card when you get it? And will that support you for the few years it takes you to move to the next level? And when you get to that next level, is there really any jobs available for you that you want? Tough choices to be made in So Cal EMS, that is for sure. Good luck!

 

[Comoquiendice]

I hear ya. Thanks everyone for the responses by the way.

I'm actually only here for a semester. I'm going back to UC Berkeley where I'm a premed student.

Mostly, I wanted a change of job that would allow me to do what I want now and gain some good experiences (and bad) learn to deal with people (civilians) and patients, and get used to working underpressure (which I like, but I think I'll have to get used to dealing with a "real live human". haha.

I've had a 4 year career in sales, going into my 5th and I'm ready to move on--after reading a few "Day in the Life" articles about Paramedics, I started to consider that maybe I might be more suited to the faster pace, or maybe I just might end up going to Med school for Emergency Medicine. I'm not really sure yet, but I want to make a move towards a career in healthcare.

I've been following the classifieds and EMT's (apparently) have a lot of opportunity in the Bay Area.

I see your point about the crash course. I've already taken Anatomy, so I'll sign up for Physiology and medical terminology. Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[medic417]

I've been following the classifieds and EMT's (apparently) have a lot of opportunity in the Bay Area.

I see your point about the crash course. I've already taken Anatomy, so I'll sign up for Physiology and medical terminology. Thanks for the advice everyone!

But not much money for EMT, yes lots of jobs but low low wages.

Good for you on the education. Keep it up.

 

[WarDance]

Some of the symptoms according to wikipedia are

Impulsiveness: acting before thinking of consequences, jumping from one activity to another, disorganization, tendency to interrupt other peoples' conversations. Hyperactivity: restlessness, often characterized by an inability to sit still, fidgeting, squirminess, climbing on things, restless sleep. Inattention: easily distracted, day-dreaming, not finishing work, difficulty listening.

That almost sounds like your average teenager. Even sounds like me.:wacko::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::wacko:

Why did you put up a description of me? Wanna go ride bikes?

 

[AJ Hidell]

Mostly, I wanted a change of job that would allow me to do what I want now and gain some good experiences (and bad) learn to deal with people (civilians) and patients, and get used to working underpressure (which I like, but I think I'll have to get used to dealing with a "real live human". haha.

While patient contact is an excellent way to help assure yourself that a career in medicine is really what you are cut out for, working as an EMT is probably the worst of all choices for doing that. I've watched too many pre-med hopefuls get sidetracked by the cheap thrills of EMS, only to drop their studies and never finish their degree, much less enter med school. Yes, there are a lot of EMT job ads in the paper, but they are not EMS. They are just ambulance driver jobs for less than a living wage. There is a major difference between the two. That said, non-emergency transfer work will indeed give you significant patient exposure, helping you to discover if sitting around and listening to people relate all their problems to you (which is 90 percent of medical practice) is really what you want to do with your life. If you're not sure, then this is certainly a good way to find out.

I see your point about the crash course. I've already taken Anatomy, so I'll sign up for Physiology and medical terminology.

Well then, please step to the head of the class! The only question left now is whether you -- knowing yourself better than anyone else -- have a proven ability to digest and recall information in a rapid-fire manner, and retain it for the long term. Think back to previous experiences. Ever take a science course during the summer semester, where they cram it down your throat so fast that you can hardly breathe? Did you do well in that environment? If so, go to Unitek. Again, the vast majority of EMT school is nothing but practical first aid skills, not complex medical theory. And you already have more knowledge of the human body than probably all of their instructors. The rest is just practical skills, which is learning by doing, something that ADHD generally works well with.

Honestly, I don't recommend that anyone go to EMT school anywhere. It's a joke. But I do think that you have what it takes to succeed in this boot camp, and that -- with just a little experience -- you will be as good a provider as any other graduate of any other school.

 

[bstone]

Do you all realize that this potention EMT is someone who has already taken Anatomy, likely some bio and chem courses and will sign up for phys and med term before EMT school? AMAZING!

Do you take Adderall or Vitamin R (Ritalin) for your ADHD?

 

[AJ Hidell]

Do you all realize that this potention EMT is someone who has already taken Anatomy, likely some bio and chem courses and will sign up for phys and med term before EMT school? AMAZING!

Agreed. The fact that it is "amazing" is actually pretty sad. That should be a requirement for any potential student entering the profession.

 

[WarDance]

Agreed. The fact that it is "amazing" is actually pretty sad. That should be a requirement for any potential student entering the profession.

I don't think so. I haven't taken anatomy or chemistry yet and I still did well in my class. I did have a very solid biology background though. I am continuing on to medical school so getting my EMT as a first year college student is really setting me up to get in alot of patient care hours before I enter medical school.

Also the fact that someone has taken these classes doesn't mean that someone will be a good EMT after this boot camp. EMS is alot more than book smarts. That's something that I learned very quickly. You might ace every written test but you've got to apply it. That's the hard part.

 

[bstone]

I don't think so. I haven't taken anatomy or chemistry yet and I still did well in my class. I did have a very solid biology background though. I am continuing on to medical school so getting my EMT as a first year college student is really setting me up to get in alot of patient care hours before I enter medical school.

If you want to enter med school you'll be doing a LOT of chemistry. I have done a full year of gen chem with lab and a full year of organic chemistry with lab. I also did biochem with lab.

 

[AJ Hidell]

Also the fact that someone has taken these classes doesn't mean that someone will be a good EMT after this boot camp. EMS is alot more than book smarts.

Correct. What it does mean is that they will be a lot better EMT than they would have been without it. Do you dispute that? Maybe we should drop biology from medical school prerequisites too?

 

[DevilDuckie]

A 14 Day EMT Course?

h34r:

Why bother? If you're going to short cut your way through education, how can we trust you won't do that with patient care?

 

[AJ Hidell]

Why bother? If you're going to short cut your way through education, how can we trust you won't do that with patient care?

Cut short? She's got more education in anatomy and physiology than the total amount of training that most EMTs receive. And then she still receives 120 hours of EMT specific training. So how exactly has she cut anything short? I'd say those who go to EMT school without those prerequisites are the ones cutting things short. Why should we trust them?

 

[WarDance]

Correct. What it does mean is that they will be a lot better EMT than they would have been without it. Do you dispute that? Maybe we should drop biology from medical school prerequisites too?

I don't deny that at all. But knowing everything about the anatomy of the heart doesn't mean that you're going to do an awesome job treating someone having an MI.
I'm currently finishing up my general biology requirements and talk about a god awful course! If I hear anything else about a paramecium I might jump out of a window. I tested out of the 1st semester of biology so I'm in shock at this 100 level course!
Next year I'm taking anatomy, chemistry and physics all at the same time. Now that's going to be a nightmare.